• Create a playlist of your favorite love songs on Spotify. com and email the link to your valentine.

• Have a romantic lunch at a restaurant instead of a pricey dinner. Call ahead to request a special dessert.

• Serve a romantic dinner for two, with candles and background music, at a fraction of the cost of a dinner out. The week before Feb. 14, check the deals at supermarket chains on steaks, rib roast and seafood.

• Seeking an easy dessert to make with your sweetheart? Hand-dip strawberries in melted chocolate and pair them with a store-bought angel food cake.

• Instead of signing a greeting card, write a heartfelt letter. Visit office-supply stores to find Valentine-themed stationery sold in single sheets.

• Skip the expensive chocolates and get a box of decadent truffles for about $5. Not marking the occasion until the weekend? The day after the holiday, expect to see prices on Valentine candy slashed by 50?percent or more.

• Create a basket with cookies, candy or specialty teas or coffees. Find baskets, gift bags and other items at Big Lots, Dollar Tree and other discount stores. For more suggestions, follow Laurie Dixon at www.facebook.com/ColumbusSavvyShopper.

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